A special military performance to be presented at this year's CMG Spring Festival Gala will demonstrate the unwavering spirit of China's armed forces in the new era.
The gala is scheduled to be aired on Tuesday night, the eve of the Chinese New Year, bringing together viewers from both China and abroad.
Program director Yang Li shared that the standout feature of this performance is the authenticity of the cast, with all participants being active-duty military personnel.
"The performance includes elite pilots, missile operators, new recruits, and seasoned soldiers, who will collectively represent the diverse strength of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). Through their powerful voices and strong presence, these soldiers will convey the vitality and determination of the PLA in the new era," said Yang.
One of the performance's key highlights is the collaboration of military personnel from across the country, with various branches of the military joining forces.
"The show transcends the stage, taking viewers from the studio to the expansive military grounds through dynamic cinematography, offering a glimpse of the vibrant life in the army," said Yang.
On the Spring Festival Gala stage, the children from Air Force Blue Sky Kindergarten will also give a wonderful performance and send their New Year blessings.
"The Blue Sky kids of the Air Force send New Year greetings to all the people of the country! Wishing you a happy New Year, good luck in the Year of the Snake, and may all your wishes come true!" the kids sent their wishes to the audience before a rehearsal.
PLA's spirit in new era to be presented at Spring Festival Gala via soldiers’ voices, presence: director
Spain is seeing a surge in European tourists as conflict in the Middle East prompts travelers to opt for closer and safer destinations.
With Easter holiday underway, Palma de Mallorca airport has been packed with visitors who abandoned plans for trips eastward. Hostilities triggered by Israeli‑U.S. strikes on Iran have forced major airports across the Middle East to cancel or delay flights, severely disrupting aviation and tourism in the region.
"We were thinking about going to Dubai, but because of the war, there was no option, so we came here to Mallorca," said a traveler named Michelle, who works as a kindergarten teacher.
"We thought about going to Thailand, but I see the flights were disrupted and they said there were drones and things like that, so we thought Spain may be a safer option," another traveler Ross McGrego said.
"The situation in the Middle East is a little bit too unstable for my holiday plans," said traveler Rose Danaher, a rabies specialist nurse with the UK Health Services Agency.
The influx has brought new opportunities for local businesses. Local restaurant owner in Mallorca Victoria Amoros opened her second restaurant just days ago.
"50,000 people extra are flying to Mallorca. These people were supposed to fly to the Middle East and they are rerouted to Mallorca. I don't know how we are going to handle that, but we will receive them with love," said Amoros, owner of La Malvasia Restaurant Chain.
Chris Pomeroy, the global head of tourism of international communications group Hopscotch said people all over the world are choosing to holiday closer to home.
"So, 14 percent of international travel goes through the Middle East, it's a connectivity issue. So, when these bridges are down, the logical effect is that people will stay in their hemisphere. We say in tourism that when in times of conflict, investors turn to gold, and in times of conflict, tour operators turn to Spain," he said.
Spain welcomed a record 97 million foreign tourists in 2025, and industry experts say the figure could surpass 100 million this year. With Middle East routes disrupted, Spain's role as Europe's fallback destination is set to grow even further.
Spain tourism surges as Europeans opt for safer holidays amid Middle East conflict
